


Batman: The Strange Case of a Zombie Boy

by Hyper_Nexus



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Kore wa Zombie Desuka?
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cohabitation, F/M, Harems
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-16
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-14 04:08:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28789236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hyper_Nexus/pseuds/Hyper_Nexus
Summary: Just when Ayumu thought his life couldn't get any crazier, a certain Caped Crusader from America begins to investigate him closely and finds himself involved with the Underworld, Vampire-Ninjas, Masou-Shoujos, Doujinkas and his own cohabitation hijinks.
Relationships: Aikawa Ayumu/Eucliwood Hellscythe, Aikawa Ayumu/Haruna (Kore wa Zombie Desuka?), Chris (Kore wa Zombie Desu Ka?)/Bruce Wayne, Naegleria Nebiros/Bruce Wayne, Sarasvati (Kore wa Zombie Desuka?)/Bruce Wayne, Seraphim (Kore wa Zombie Desuka?)/Bruce Wayne, Yoshida Yuki (Kore wa Zombie Desu Ka?)/Bruce Wayne
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	Batman: The Strange Case of a Zombie Boy

**Author's Note:**

> Well, here it is, my first story of 2021. There were two reason I decided to start with this: first was that I was dying to write something new and second, I'm using this to help myself get back into the groove of writing after taking a month-long break. I'm planning to get back to my other stories once this is up.
> 
> Anyway, some things to note: For obvious reasons, some characters in this universe are going to be aged up (or appear to be) and you might see them in different roles compared to the anime/LN. And finally, for those who know about this anime, Kyoko will not be in this story. There's a reason for this.
> 
> Batman and all related characters and elements are trademarks of DC Comics. Batman is created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane.
> 
> Is this a Zombie?/ Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? is created by Shinichi Kumira.

_He is... Zombie_

_She is...Masou-Shoujo_

_She is...Necromancer_

_She is...Vampire-Ninja_

_He is...BATMAN_

* * *

**CHAPTER 01: I fought with a superhero**

"What the hell is wrong with you!? Announcing to everyone I'm a Masou-Shoujo. As if being called a pervert and a drag queen wasn't bad enough!" Ayumu Aikawa groaned with his palm massaging his head.

"Stop your complaining! I taught you how to use the memory-wipe spell, didn't I?" fired back Haruna, a petite young girl with an 'Ahoge' on her brown hair.

As night fell, the two teens were walking back from Ayumu's school and kept to a dark quiet narrow road, trying their best not to be seen...and for good reason.

Looking at them, one would see a sixteen year old boy wearing a girly pink attire, complete with ribbons and a frilly skirt, lugging a chainsaw.

And with him was Haruna, draped with only a thick curtain that hid her nude body. Ayumu knew full well that anyone who spotted them would think they were total wack-jobs and call the police on them.

Now there were a number of possible reasonable explanations for their current predicament but the truth was much stranger than one would assume.

About an hour earlier in Ayumu's classroom, the two of them had a deadly encounter with a giant crayfish creature called a 'Megalo'. Using his Masou-Shoujo powers and the chainsaw weapon called 'Mistletainn', Ayumu managed to defeat the vile creature. But unfortunately, he ended up landing in the schoolyard; exposed in his cute accursed cosplay outfit for all his schoolmates to see.

Luckily as Haruna said, she instructed him on how to erase the memories of eyewitnesses. Apparently it was how Masou-Shoujos were able to be at large in this world without drawing attention.

But Ayumu didn't exactly trust the effectiveness of this spell and wasted the remainder of his evening checking every phone from the unconscious student body to make sure the photos were deleted.

"Fuck my life." Ayumu whined. "Why don't you just go back to your magical world or whatever?"

"It's called Villiers, don't give it such a generic name! And besides, I can't go back."

"Why not?"

Haruna turned sharply and rounded at him with an accusing finger.

"Because you stole my magical powers! Remember!?"

It wasn't like it was intentional. It happened just the other night, the same night Ayumu first met Haruna when she attempted to erase his memories after she and a Bear-Megalo barged into his quiet spot where he was just minding his own business.

As for WHY it happened, that might have something to do with the fact that Ayumu wasn't your run-of-the-mill laid back hormonal teenager.

In fact, Ayumu was actually a zombie.

Granted, not the garden-variety moaning, brain-eating zombie but a reanimated dead person none the less.

"Shhh! Keep your voice down." Ayumu shushed her.

Before long, the two of them made it in front of Ayumu's house without incident. Haruna didn't waste time rushing inside, leaving Ayumu feeling a bit miffed.

 _"Shouldn't the master of the house go in first?"_ Ayumu thought with annoyance.

Ayumu sighed and entered. Ever since his parent left on their very extended honeymoon, he thought he would have a pretty quiet life being the only sole occupant of the house. Now he had to worry about the neighbors noticing that he had a girl living with him.

Correction: TWO girls living with him.

"Hey Eu, anything interesting happen today?" he asked.

He found her in the living room as always, kneeling by the low table with a teacup in her hands and eyes towards the LCD tv at the corner of the room.

She was short with a petite frame and had long silver hair and blue eyes. But what stood out was her outfit. Over her stripped purple dress, she was clad in western-medieval-style armor consisting of a breastplate, faulds on her thighs, gauntlets, greaves and an ornate visor over her head.

Her name was Eucliwood Hellscythe, Eu for short, a necromancer from the underworld and the one responsible for Ayumu's reanimation.

Eu turned her head and stared at Ayumu blankly for a few seconds and Ayumu then realized with a grimace that he was still wearing the damned Masou-Shoujo outfit. Luckily for him, Eu didn't seem to react much at his appearance. Instead, she pointed towards the television.

Ayumu looked to find that Eu was watching a news report, which he found odd since it wasn't the channel she'd usually have on.

"...a mugging was thwarted in the Nishi Ikebukuro area by what witnesses claim was a supernatural entity. After getting a call from the intended victims, Police arrived on the scene to find a local chinpira gang badly beaten and shaken by what attacked them."

The footage displayed showed a handcuffed hooligan being pulled by two officers to an open police wagon were his fellow gang members were seated. He was raving at the camera with wide fearful eyes.

"It was a bat I tell you! A GIANT BAT!"

"A giant bat?" came Haruna's voice.

Ayumu glanced to his side to see that Haruna had already changed into an oversized t-shirt and pair of jean which she had to roll up a couple of times.

 _"That was fast."_ he remarked to himself.

Then again, he realized that she was naked when she got here and that she didn't have much wardrobe options to begin with.

"It must be a Megalo!" Haruna said, dropping a fist on her palm.

It seemed to fit the bill, Ayumu had already encountered an oversized bear and a crayfish so a bat being a Megalo wasn't too far-fetched. But he wasn't so sure in this case.

"Gimme a break, the guy's probably just high on something." Ayumu scoffed.

"No, it's definitely a Megalo. Remember when the Nefarious Zarii used that purple mist?"

She was referring to crayfish he fought earlier whom he could've sworn she called 'Atrocious Zarii'. In any case, he recalled the mist the creature emitted that had some kind of effect on Haruna, making her afraid. He guessed that she figured this Bat Megalo used a similar attack on the gang member.

"That settles it." Haruna declared. "We're going out to track down and defeat it!"

Ayumu balked at this.

"What? Now!?"

"Yes, Now! As a Masou-Shoujo, it's your duty to hunt down all Megalos that appear in this world."

Eu frowned and scribbled something on her notepad before holding it up. It read:

'Make dinner first.'

 _"Ne! Onii-san, don't ignore me. I got hungry waiting for you, won't you please feed me?"_ Ayumu imagined Eu saying cutely. _"Afterwards, I want us to take a ba~th together."_

"Ahaha. You're such a demanding little sister." Ayumu chuckled with closed eyes and a dumb grin.

Haruna was about to protest when suddenly her stomach growled loudly, causing her to blush with embarrassment.

"Well, I guess we'll need our strength first. THEN, we'll hunt it down!" she reasoned.

"Fine, I'll whip something up. But first, how the hell do I get this damn cosplay outfit off!?" Ayumu yelled while tugging on his skirt.

"Must I explain everything!? Just concentrate and you can dispel it at will."

"What? Like this?"

Ayumu did as he was told and his body was surrounded by a flash was white light. When it disappeared, so did the cute pink dress...which left him completely naked.

Haruna shrieked while Eu hid her eyes with her notepad.

"AAAHH! Not here, you disgusting pervert! Go put some clothes on this instant!"

"Okay! Okay! I'm going! Just don't call me a pervert!" a weepy-eyed Ayumu yelped as he ran upstairs with his hands over his crotch.

After entering his room, Ayumu sighed as flipped his room's lights on. His room was pretty simple; consisting of a bed, a bookcase, a study desk, glass sliding doors that led to a balcony and a dresser which he made a beeline towards.

He opened a drawer in the dresser and took out a shirt, boxers and a pair of jeans. As he dressed himself, he reflected on Haruna's plan and felt that he was actually looking forward to it. Prior to meeting Haruna, he used to venture out at night anyway, he was not only more comfortable with night time but there was a personal reason why he did so.

And besides, now that he thought about it: Him going out with Haruna-chan after dark like this, it was kinda like a date. It would be nice if Eu also got to join them.

 _"Onii-san, it's so cold. Can I please hold your arm?"_ the weak-hearted protagonist imagined her saying.

A dumb grin spread on his face but just as his moe-fueled fantasies could escalate any further...

"Aikawa." a deep voice growled behind him.

There was another presence in his room.

Without turning around, Ayumu hung his despondently. His fist clenched and shook with anger and his eyes opened and shone like a cross-shaped flare.

"You just couldn't wait for at least two hours, could you?" Ayumu seethed. "Me and Haruna-chan could've had a relaxing fun time tonight but you just had to ruin it, didn't you?"

Ayumu spun around and pointed at the offender in a state of outrage.

"WELL FRANKLY, I'M GETTING SICK AND TIRED OF YOU COCK-BLOCKING BASTARDS!" he yelled.

But when Ayumu saw the other person in the room, he froze stiff along with his pointed finger and his eye were wide like dinner plates while his lips were a thin line.

He recognized him immediately, who wouldn't? He was standing there tall with his pointy eared cowl that bore angular white eyes and his dark scalloped cape that covered over his gray body suit which had a bat-shaped emblem on his chest. The man's expression was taut with an unforgiving scowl.

 _"Okay, hold up. Why the hell is the freak'n Batman in my room!? How long was he here? D-did he see me put my clothes on this whole time!?"_ Ayumu wondered nervously.

He was quite aware of the superhero activity in the United States, it was about ten years ago when he and parents saw the alien invasion on the news and how earth's greatest heroes banded together to save the world. Among them, he found the Dark Knight the most fascinating of them all. He never seemed to pose for the cameras or seek glory, he always remained in the background like a shadow. Ayumu later learned that he came from a city called Gotham where he fought for justice, striking fear in hearts of criminals.

But again, what was he doing here in his room!?

As his mind continued to struggle processing this encounter, he heard Haruna calling out to him and march into his room with Mistletainn in her hands.

"Ayumu, what is going on!? And what is this 'cock-blocking' thing you're yelling about?"

But when she saw the other person in the room, she jumped back with a start.

"Aah! It's the Megalo!"

Ayumu realized that since she was from another world, she wouldn't know anything about this world's superheroes.

"Wait, that's not a Megalo! That's-"

But she didn't listen and thrust her chainsaw down, initiating her transformation sequence.

"Magical Transform! Nomobuyo oshi hashitawa dokeda gunmiicha dei ribura!"

And just as before, her garment immediately dissipated in a white light and left her naked.

"Gaaah! Oh no, I forgot what happened last time!" she shrieked and quickly covered her private parts with her arms.

Ayumu smacked his palm on his face, wondering how could she forget something that just happened a few hours ago.

"How many damn times is your magic gonna to cause a wardrobe malfunction!?" he snapped with exasperation.

"Keep your eyes away from me, you PERVERT!" she exclaimed at him and then delivered a spinning kick to his head.

Time slowed down for Ayumu as he was sent sailing towards Batman, blood trailing from his nose and tears trailing from his eyes.

"Wah! I told you not to call me a pervert!" he whined.

Without so much as changing his posture, Batman extended his arm and grabbed Ayumu by his collar just as he was about to fly past him and then brought the boy close to his glaring face.

"You're coming with me." he stated sternly. "I suggest you cooperate if you know what's good for you."

The zombie boy looked at the costumed man like a mouse trapped by a cat. He may be undead but his amygdala was still in working condition, so it came down to either flight or fight.

Outside the Aikawa residence, Batman's body was sent crashing through the balcony window.

Ayumu winced in pain while cradling his fist until his eyes widened in alarm when he realized what he just did.

"Oh shit! Ohshit!ohshit!ohshit! I just punched Batman with over 100% of my strength!"

On the principle that living humans don't use the full percentage of their muscle strength, Ayumu is able to push his strength to superhuman levels, allowing him to actually hold his own with a Megalo. This trait doesn't exempt him from any pain or injury but his healing abilities generally take care of that.

"What are you doing, Ayumu! Go out there and finish it off!" Haruna called out while still covering herself.

But Ayumu didn't listen as was holding his hair in a panicked state.

"This is bad! I just killed a superhero. Superman will probably fly down here and vaporize me with his heat-vision!"

While that awful imagery played out in his mind, he didn't notice the small bang sound like something being fired. Nor did he notice the hook and cable that suddenly wrapped around his ankle.

The cable retracted hard and Ayumu screamed as he was yanked to the floor and dragged all the way to the balcony, out where Batman had crashed through, reeled in the air until he landed face-first against the surface of the road.

Wincing in pain again, Ayumu pushed his head up and turned to see the cable slack around his ankle and retract until the hook rejoined the barrel of the grappling gun held by Batman, his face darkened by the night and only his pointed eyes and the moon glowed brightly. It seemed that his body armor absorbed most of the impact from Ayumu's punch.

"Huh, guess you're tougher than you look." Ayumu grunted as he pushed himself up.

He quickly rolled out of the way as a batarang spun passed him. The boy flashed a toothy grin, he was ready for a challenge.

"Alright then. If that's the way you want to play it, let's see how you handle over 250%!"

Ayumu rushed at the Dark Knight with his fist reeled back and his muscles tightened. He delivered punch after punch but surprisingly Batman was able to easily swerve and deflect each punch with a palm and back hand against Ayumu's arms.

 _"I can't believe I'm actually fighting Batman."_ Ayumu thought. _"This is either the coolest or the most frightening moment of my undead life!"_

With his arms concealed behind his cape, Batman sidestepped another punch while he secretly armed himself with a pair of electric knuckles and once he found an opening, he retaliated with a blow to Ayumu's abdomen.

The zombie boy yelled as voltage coursed through his body. Batman didn't let up and struck him again and again, finishing with an uppercut before grabbing Ayumu's arm, hefting him up and flinging him hard against a lamp post.

"Ow..." Ayumu groaned in pain as he slid down. "That really hurt..."

"Enhanced strength means nothing if it isn't disciplined." Batman spoke to him. "Your movements are sloppy and easily telegraphed. Besides..."

The Caped Crusader's eyes narrowed.

"You aren't the first super-powered zombie I fought."

A certain individual born on a monday came to his mind.

"So you know what I am?" Ayumu asked, almost nonchalantly.

"I've been looking into you quite closely, Aikawa. And contrary to what you might think of this encounter..."

To Ayumu's surprise, Batman put his knuckles away and held his palms up.

"I'm only here to talk."

* * *

At this point in his life, Ayumu was no stranger to the bizarre but he still found the image of Batman sitting at the living room table and sipping green tea to be an odd picture.

Haruna had already changed into another oversized shirt and a pair of trunks, tugging at hems in embarrassment due to a stranger being present. Everything she wore since arriving at the house belonged to Ayumu and he made a mental note to himself to buy her a fresh set of clothes, or else her magical mishaps was going to eat through his entire wardrobe.

He managed to convince her that Batman wasn't a Megalo, evidenced by the fact that he didn't wear the telltale schoolboy uniform that most of them wore. But still, Haruna appeared wary of him. Ayumu guessed it was probably because he gave her the creeps.

Eu on the other hand, seemed strangely comfortable with him and Ayumu didn't understand why. And frankly, he found it irritating.

Ayumu had already introduced to two girls to Batman, simply saying that Eu was a Necromancer and Haruna was a Masou-Shoujo from another dimension.

Batman didn't even react, like this was nothing out of the ordinary. Then again, Ayumu remembered that he was a superhero and a member of the Justice League; he's probably been around and seen all kinds of things.

He only asked about Haruna's magical malfunction and she explained how Ayumu absorbed her magic and is now a Masou-Shoujo, much to Ayumu's embarrassment.

Eu introduced herself formally through her notepad and the two of them engaged in a succinct conversation, through Eu's brief notes and Batman answering and questioning in short sentences.

During this, Ayumu leaned next to Haruna and whispered to her.

"Hey Haruna, is it alright for him to know all this stuff? I mean, shouldn't we erase his memory or something?"

This caused Batman to turn his head sharply and shoot a dangerous glare at the two of them.

"Don't even think about it." he said dangerously.

"Yii!" Ayumu and Haruna yelped.

Ayumu assumed the man probably had bat-like hearing too.

"I had a friend put a spell on me a long time ago." Batman said. "Any attempt to magically alter my mind will backfire."

The costumed vigilante glared particularly at the de-powered Masou-Shoujo.

"Feel free to try if you don't mind being a drooling vegetable for a week."

Haruna gulped and nervously waved her hands in denial.

"N-n-no, that's okay. I belive you but why would you even have something like that?"

Batman calmed down, took his sights away from them and sipped on his tea.

"Let's just say, I'm a little touchy when come to mind wiping." he said bitterly.

The 'friend' who he had put the spell on him was the sorceress Zatanna who incidentally was the one responsible for his paranoia.

Years ago, at the behest of certain members of the Justice League, she erased his memories to cover up a terrible secret. This 'Crisis of Conscience' weighed heavily in her heart since then and had she not placed the spell on him as he asked her to, she would've never remained as his friend.

"You've...experienced quite a lot, huh?" Ayumu asked.

Batman took another slip of his tea before speaking.

"You might say that. So I'm sure you understand why I came on a little strong before."

"Tch, A LITTLE strong?" Ayumu scoffed. "Is it your thing to beat people up before asking questions?"

"You struck first." Batman stated.

"Oh come on! I panicked, Okay!? You're the one who showed up in my room like a total weirdo!"

Eu wrote on her notepad and held it up.

'Calm down.'

And then wrote another note.

'Let's hear what he has to say.'

With sigh, Ayumu settled down and crossed his arms.

"Fine. But I gotta say, I'm honored that an American costumed hero came all the way to Japan just for little ol' me."

"I'm not here just because of you." Batman said as he placed his cup down.

He then took a stack of photos out from his utility belt and spread it them over the table.

"I'm here because of this."

Ayumu and the two girls peered over them with wide eyes and their breaths frozen in their throats. They were crime scene photos...of murder victims.

"The serial killer, the one on the news? This person was in Gotham." Batman explained. "He has killed several people...Good people."

Eu turned her eyes towards the Dark Knight, her expression was one of sympathy because she could hear the deep rage in his voice when he uttered that last sentence. Ayumu would say that Eucliwood Hellscythe was the most empathetic person he had ever met and that was the truth. It was the reason why she was comfortable around Batman, because she could sense that this man suffered terrible losses in his life and understood him much like how she understood Ayumu.

She wished she could express that to him but there was only so much she could write on a notepad.

"After I tracked him here, I found out that last month there was a murder around this area. The police are convinced that there was only one victim but from my investigation, I believe there was a second victim but unlike the other killings, this one wasn't planned."

Ayumu's throat dried as Batman continued to speak, having an idea where he was going with this.

"Likely, this other victim probably noticed a disturbance and was curious enough to enter the premises. An unfortunate circumstance."

Batman looked directly at Ayumu.

"YOU were that second victim, weren't you?"

"Wow, you really are a great detective like the rumors said you were." Ayumu commented.

"It's important that I find this killer. Do you remember anything about this person? Anything at all?"

Fragmented memories replayed in the undead boy's mind until he shook his head with a sigh.

"Wish I did. He got me from behind and I never got a look a him."

"What about you, Miss Hellscythe?" Batman asked Eu. "You were there too, when you resurrected Aikawa."

Eu glanced down ruefully and then wrote on another page of her notepad before holding it up: 'I'm sorry.'

"I see." Batman released a disappointed breath.

"But you have an idea who this guy is, right?" Ayumu asked. "The truth is, I'm looking for him too. Since Eu brought me back, I've been going out night after night, waiting for when he'll strike next. I want to stop him before he kills anyone else."

Ayumu looked straight at Batman, resolved and serious.

"Let me help you."

"No." Batman asserted firmly.

The brows of the house occupants jumped in surprise.

"Listen Aikawa, your current situation along with your...um, 'housemates' has made things complicated for you already but as strange as it is, you can still live your life. This killer is meticulous. If he finds out you're not dead, he will try to find you and finish the job."

Ayumu stared at him dead straight in the eyes.

"Good." he said.

Batman was momentarily taken aback before his white eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched hard.

"What's the big deal?" Ayumu asked. "In case you forgot, I'm a zombie AND I'm now a Masou-Shoujo. Its not like the killer can do anything else to me."

"And what about your friends at school?" Batman asked with a hardened voice.

Ayumu froze as the image of Orito came to his mind.

"What about Haruna without her powers? What about your family? Not a big deal, right?"

Eu and Haruna looked on as conflicted feelings welled them.

"Wait a minute, that's-!" Ayumu attempted to protest.

But Batman didn't let him. He stood up with his cape covering over his shoulders and his front like a cloak.

"I'll only say this once: Stay out of this. Remember, I've dealt with metahumans and zombies before and if I want, I can have you locked up in a specialized cell. Particularly one with overhead sunlamps."

That last bit actually made Ayumu flinch. As a zombie, he was particularly weak against sunlight.

And with that, Batman sharply turned and left, his cape trailing after him. Ayumu reacted with anger.

"Hey! You can't just walk off like that, you jerkoff!" he yelled as he chased after him, the two girls also following.

But when they reached the open front door, he was gone without a trace. The night still like nothing happened.

"Well,...he was interesting." Haruna commented.

* * *

Ayumu woke up earlier than usual the next morning, feeling groggy and stiff all over. He had assumed that he didn't get much sleep last night, but then again he does most of his sleeping in school.

Or it could be that last night's discussion with the American vigilante was still running through his mind.

He groaned in frustration as he ran his fingers through his hair. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't intimidated by the Batman but he still had no intention of giving up his search for his murderer. But that also meant he was probably going to run into the Dark Knight eventually because their goals are now aligned and when that happens...

Well, there was time to worry about it later.

Eu was right now probably sleeping in the living room while Haruna was in the guest bedroom. The morning sky was still dim but that suited him just fine. The less sun, the better.

With nothing else to do, Ayumu pushed himself out of bed and decided to brush his teeth. He may be undead but he still believed in personal hygiene, he didn't want to be one the smelly rotten kind of corpse.

With him moving the toothbrush back forth in his foam filled mouth, Ayumu opened his balcony door and walked outside. The damage from last night had been repaired thanks to the spell that Haruna taught him.

"Hm?"

He paused when he noticed some activity ouside the house next door. There was a truck parked outside with movers unloading furniture and boxes back and forth. Somebody was moving in. This early?

 _"Isn't that Tayama-san's Place?"_ Ayumu recalled.

Tayama was Ayumu's neighbor for a couple of years before the man moved out due to his job being transferred and had put the place up for rent. Ayumu thought there was already a family staying but apparently, they had moved out and the house now had a new occupant.

_"I wonder who could it be."_

* * *

_"From your arrangements, am I to assume that you intend to prolong your sojourn, Sir?"_ a dignified british voice sounded from the phone.

Bruce Wayne stood, phone to his ear, in the in his new bedroom. The movers had finished with his furnature and now he had to wait for another truck, this one from his own company, to arrive.

Lucius had arranged his team to delivery the goods in smaller packages and it would be up to Bruce to assemble and install everything. When he did, he would have a 'base camp' set up, a cave away from cave.

Getting the previous occupants to move out was simple enough, he was sure they would feel right at home at his Penthouse in the Minato Ward. It was getting the owner to sign a new lease at short notice that was tricky but a few hundred million yen as advance seemed to smoothen the deal.

He also made sure to tell them to keep the whole thing on the down-low. There were still people in Japan who can easily recognize him so he needed to keep a low profile.

"Temporarily, Alfred. It's only as long as I have to." Bruce responded.

 _"Or want to."_ Alfred muttered sardonically. _"Master Bruce, I implore you again, you don't need feel solely responsible for this."_

Bruce had heard this multiple times from the family. The truth was that it wasn't really necessary for him to come here alone. He could've assigned this to Barbara and the Birds, he could've asked Dick, Tim or Cassandra, he could've even requested assistance from the League or the Outsiders. Tatsu or Dr. Hoshi would've been a big help.

But there was a reason he wanted to do this alone. His free hand clenched tightly, lips pressed into a grim line and shadows cast under his brows.

"Eleven dead men and women, eleven families who had their loved one taken from them. They were Bruce Wayne's employees, they were my people."

Bruce relaxed his features as he begun to pace around the room.

"And it's not just that, there's just something strange about this case. I can't quite explain it but I feel this is something I have to see through."

_"If I had a penny for the amount of times I've heard that, Master Bruce..."_

"I'll be sure to put them in your next bonus, old friend." Bruce said with a playful smirk. "Besides, I'm confident that the family can take care of Gotham in my absence."

_"Then perhaps you should tell them that."_

Bruce froze on the spot, feeling his jaw muscles numb and a growing lump in his throat. He remembered that his son Damian wasn't so thrilled about him leaving without him.

Seconds ticked by with awkward silence until he heard Alfred exasperated sigh. His butler knew too well about Bruce's difficulty in expressing his feelings to his sons.

_"Oh for goodness sake! The one thing I hope the most out of this is that you meet a young maiden or two who can keep you honest."_

The young billionaire rolled his eyes at this, convinced that there was a fat chance of that ever happening.

_"In any case, I've taken a look at the photos of the newly acquired property. It's quite quaint actually, a rather refreshing change from your usual abodes."_

As Alfred spoke, Bruce move to the side of the balcony window and peered outside towards the Aikawa household.

"The main reason is location." he said, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "There's someone who lives next door. A witness. Or more accurately, a survivor...sort of."

_"Beg pardon, Sir?"_

"I'll explain later. Call it detective intuition or just a hunch but I feel that the key to solving this case lies with him."

**TBC**


End file.
